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reclaimed wood birdhouses for an heirloom touch
In an abandoned parking lot he was spotted selling his wares out of the back of a truck. Due to the sheer height of some his wood birdhouses, it was kinda hard to miss, and pretty obvious something cool was happening. So my friend calls and says “ya gotta come see!” – but I didn’t. It took a few weeks… no months before I actually met up with Karl.Definitely worth the trip down to Marietta Square to see what was cooking with this artist. Birdhouses all over his place; parts, pieces, iron, wood, metal, you name it and Karl was using it to build his houses. His dog Hoover (who guards all the wares left outdoors) was pretty neat too! Always fascinating to see into the mind’s eye of a creative type, probably because of my own art background.
Working construction part time, the guy comes across some great salvage stuff. Currently clearing a lot that once hosted a real plantation home, he hit pay dirt… the oak boards were almost one hundred years old-and they looked perfect too. At his place, old hardware from doors and other iron parts sat in a big pile, waiting to be reclaimed for a second life.
Wanting to purchase about six wood birdhouses was problematic. – a difficult decision as no two pieces were the same! So I went by their height and closest matching styles. There’s something to be said for using reclaimed materials. In the garden, these vintage style bird homes create a bit of an heirloom atmosphere. Their rustic style is timeless, and oh yeah… these homes are definitely bird-approved too!
Hinged back doors for easy nest removal even have a lock to keep birds safe from predator’s paws. The 1.5-inch entrance is perfect for Eastern bluebirds, downy woodpeckers, Carolina wrens and other small to medium sized songbirds. The house is tall (at 38 inches) but a wire nesting shelf sits a few inches above the floor. This helps reduce blowfly and other pest infestation, greatly increasing the chances for successful broods and healthy fledgelings. The ringing bell is functional too… Karl might just need to start signing his work!
- Bird Houses, Copper Roof Birdhouse, Decorative Bird Houses, Dovecote Birdhouse, Uncategorized, Vinyl with Copper Roof Birdhouses
dovecote birdhouse for major curb appeal
A repeat customer phoned the other day asking about some more birdhouses for his beach residence. Frank had ordered four of these stunning birdhouses and feeders in the past, and was so pleased with the quality he wanted to replace some wooden houses that had seen better days and deteriorated over the years. Thing is… Frank doesn’t really like birds!Learning this the first go-round, the standing joke became “have you filled those feeders yet?” Frank even asked how to keep the birds OUT of the dovecote birdhouse. After my initial disbelief had settled, I soon realized that not everyone’s into birds – folks were ordering these houses and feeders simply for the curb appeal factor. And that’s okay because it’s a product made in the USA with a lifetime guarantee.
These houses look new years after installation, in fact, the textured PVC looks so much like wood, we’ve had customers phone to say they’d received a wooden house – instead of the vinyl one they ordered! A testament to the beauty and quality of these architectural structures.
So, to each his own, if you like a dovecote birdhouse enough to keep as a lawn ornament, then why not? It’s guaranteed to grace the landscape with elegance for many years to come… birds or not!
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Attracting the right birds takes research (pertaining to bluebird houses)
This letter to the editor appeared in The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN., a few days ago. We thought it might be of interest to those who are newer to backyard birding and so fascinated with all their feathered visitors. Because all songs are not always good ones, we believed this post was in order, especially when adding bluebird houses around your yard.
“Attracting the right birds takes research, effort
Eight years ago, when my husband and I moved to the Spencerville-Leo country area, I decided to put out a birdhouse. Soon our birdhouse was occupied by a pair of bluebirds and five blue eggs. I thought how easy and why was attracting bluebirds thought to be such a hard task? Unfortunately, I discovered the answer. The main problems for bluebirds are house sparrows.
House sparrows are extremely destructive to American species of birds. House sparrows make a point of taking over nesting sites. Sparrows often and viciously take over nesting boxes inhabited by our American species. They trap adult birds in their nesting boxes and kill adult birds by pecking the skulls. Sadly, sparrows most notoriously attack the baby birds also. Sadly, in one summer I have lost as many as 11 bluebirds, mostly attributable to the sparrow and another non-native American bird, the starling.If you are thinking about feeding birds or housing birds in your backyard, please be aware of what types of birds you bring into your area. Monitor your nesting boxes often to make sure you are attracting the birds you desire.
Now I feel like I’m starting over attracting bluebirds, but they are well worth the effort. As for my personal opinion toward house sparrows, they are nothing but trouble.
LAURA McCANN Spencerville”
Not all sparrows are bad, so it’s best to familiarize yourself with their identification by their song and plumage. Simply do a search for the ill-willed, non-native bird, and images with tons of resources will appear. Note the differences in male, female and juvenile birds as well. If you are serious about attracting bluebirds to your place, this information will serve you and the birds very well!
Birding Tips, Information & News
